Last Minute Arrival
by Abbadon-Abandon
Summary: Sachiko is paid an unexpected visit from Light


Sachiko had just been finishing her cleaning when she heard the knock on the door. It was late January, and with Soichiro gone and Sayu housebound, and Light barely finding the time to visit, she was expected no one. Along with the all encompassing exhaustion that dogged her waking hours, she almost didn't open it.

But, the knock sounded again, forlorn yet urgent, and something in her memory sparked. She knew that knock. Could it be? Another knock followed, and she shook the thought off (it was too hopeful to comfortably dwell on), before going to pull open the door.

"Light?" He stood in the doorway, shivering under the harsh air in only a light jacket. His eyes met hers, and she was almost sure he had been crying. "Ma-om." His voice was tight.

She snapped out of her funk, and quickly stepped aside, ushering him in. "Please Light, I can't have you getting sick!" Smiling wanly at her, he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "

I thought you said you didn't have enough time to come home." The question came out before she could contain it.

"I… something came up, and I wanted to be with you, ok?" A slight plea had entered his voice, and she backed off. She shook herself mentally; why was she even considering alienating her son, her baby?

"That's fine, Light." She smiled evenly at him. "Why don't you come sit down here, on the couch? I can make you some nice hot tea to warm you up."

"That would be wonderful." Already, some color had returned to her son's face, and he smiled. Plopping down on the couch heavily, he seemed to hunch in on himself.

Sachiko bustled out to prepare some tea. The almost controlled clutter in the kitchen was pushed away for her tea preparations, and as the water boiled Sachiko popped her head back in to see Light. He smiled weakly at her when she looked in. To her concern, he was still in the same huddled position on the couch.

The scream of the kettle brought her back, and after the quick yet precise preparation of one cup (it was too late for her to have any), she quickly transported the steaming beverage to Light.

"No sugar, five drops of cream, and just the tiniest hint of honey." She beamed . It hadn't been so long that she had forgotten.

Light returned the smile, before reaching out to scoop up his tea. He cradled it in his palms, one hand cupped over it like he was trying to drain the warmth.

"It must have been very cold out there." Sachiko remarked.

"What? Yes, I suppose so…" Light murmured, eyes distant. Suddenly, he set his tea down, wiping his hands on the legs of his dress pants before looking her in her eyes. "Where's Sayu, Mother?"

"Asleep. She wasn't feeling quite well, so she went to bed early. Of course, if I had known you were coming…" She winced at her own hint of bitterness that seeped through. She hadn't meant to be so harsh, and yet…

Light nodded, looking down. "Do you think… that I could wake her?"

Sachiko's eyes narrowed. "She needs her rest. And you'll be coming back, right?"

Light stopped, some emotion passing behind his eyes before he finally answered with "Yes. Of course." A small smile, confident, relaxed, met her concern.

"Good. You had me worried for a second, Light."

"I apologize. It's just… been a very long time since I've seen her." The slight tapping of Light's finger against his arm didn't escape Sachiko.

"Of course. You must have missed her terribly."

"I have." The tapping stopped, and his fingers squeezed his arm. Gently, Sachiko reached out to pat his hair.

"I missed you too, sweetie."

"Thank you." Something wet glistened in Light's eyes, and Sachiko looked away. She waited patiently until Light spoke again.

"So, how have… things been? Have you been holding up here alright?" Light's tone was pleasant and without a hint of strain.

Sachiko smiled, seating herself beside Light. With a small noise of surprise, Light moved over, but not by much. The warm weight of his body rested against her comfortingly. "We've been doing fairly well. Sayu is getting better every day, and she can't wait to see you, although doing so now would surely throw off her sleep pattern."

Light smiled. "Well, be sure to tell her I dropped by. And how was New Year's?" A sheepish expression crossed his face.

"It's not the same without you, Light. But we did get by, if that's what you're asking."

Light nodded, not meeting her eyes. Sighing, Sachiko grabbed at his shoulders. "You're still in your jacket?"

Light blinked. "Oh. I guess I am…" He shrugged it off, folding it in a crumpled square and placing it on the table. Still, Sachiko hummed in thought.

"You still look a bit chilled. I'm sure I have some of your old pajamas upstairs, and I can even run them through the drier so they're nice and toasty!"

A slight strawberry blush dusted Light's cheeks. "I'm fine, Mom. Besides, I can't stay the night."

A small prick of hurt, even though she knew it was selfish, dug into her. "Well, if you wear them then you can let your other clothes dry without you being all cold and icky. And you don't have to stay overnight if you don't want too…"

Light sighed. "I guess…"

Before he could rescind the offer, Sachiko stood, hurrying up to Light's old room. Just as she had thought, a pair of soft flannels still remained in Light's closet, atop a small pile of older garments. Light had grown fast as a child, and she had had to buy so many clothes to keep up with him, so naturally she had only bought a few articles for him at a time. When her beanpole had finally stopped growing, Sachiko had celebrated with an extended shopping spree. Of course, that had left Light with too many clothes to take with him to college. Which left the small collection of his older garments that Sachiko hadn't entirely gotten around to getting rid of.

When she arrived back downstairs, Light smiled. His tea sat drained, and he was half-burrowed in one of the throws.

"Here you go, Light." She handed them off to him, and he accepted them graciously.

As he left, she plopped down on the couch. The blanket was still warm, and she found herself slumping into it. It was almost like contact.

"Can I leave these with my jacket?"

Sachiko jolted; time had gotten away from her, and Light stood before her, hair messed slightly, and one of the sleeves of his pajamas halfway rolled up his arm. He looked so young, she thought mournfully. "Of course."

Placing them down on the table, Light sat beside her. Sachiko patted her side. Light snorted, but leaned into her. A hand crept to thread through his hair, and to her surprise Light hummed at the contact.

"Thank you. It's been too long since we've done this." They slipped into a comfortable silence, punctuated only by Light's soft breathing and the whisper of fingers through hair.

When the whole house had seemed to settle, Light finally sat upright. "I think it's time for me to go."

"Why? You never did tell me what was so important about tomorrow."

Sachiko could have sworn Light had frozen. "That?" His voice was breezy. "It's just a meeting I have to go to. Some important people will be there, so I need to be well-rested." A boyish grin had crept across his face.

"A growing boy does need his sleep."

"Yes mother. Besides, I do believe that my clothes are dry now." He patted the small pile on the table for emphasis.

"Shall I prepare you a thermos of tea for the road?"

"That would be lovely." Leaning down, Light kissed her forehead. Sachiko snorted, gently ruffling his hair before going to the kitchen.

The second batch of tea was finished all too quickly, and reluctantly she handed it off to Light.

"Are you sure you'll make it home alright?"

"I'm sure."

She pressed the tea into his hand, pulling on his jacket so she could place an affectionate kiss on his forehead. "You'll be back soon, right?"

Light looked into her eyes, an intense glint in them that sent a strange pit of fear in her stomach. It held for a moment before dissipating into a calm smile. "I'll be back tomorrow, right after work. Tell Sayu I'll have something special for her."

Turning around, he stepped out into the glacial air. Sachiko watched him leave, eyes staying on him until he was swallowed by the shadows of the moonless night.


End file.
